


The Secret of Champagne Cove

by bettyjones (SDTS)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, F/M, Mermaids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-27 02:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15675984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SDTS/pseuds/bettyjones
Summary: Jughead Jones has returned to Champagne Beach for the summer, interested in writing a book about the mythical legends in the area. But things quickly take a turn when his boat sinks during a storm and he finds himself saved by a mermaid named Betty.





	The Secret of Champagne Cove

 

                Jughead knew he had made a mistake. Unfortunately, it was too late to rectify it. His tiny boat bobbed around in the rough waves, making him feel small and insignificant. His original idea of lingering just a tad too long on the island to take more photos now seemed foolish. He should have left for the mainland beach two hours ago, well before the storm clouds suddenly formed across the horizon.

                But Jughead had gotten cocky and now he was paying for it. _Hopefully not with my life,_ he couldn’t help but think as the boat surged forward, crashing into the waves, covering him with salt water.

                The boat was just a rental; the sort of boat that is taken out for a leisurely day fishing or going to one of the islands off Champagne Beach. It wasn’t meant to take on waters like these. The sky was dark, the seas rough, and he couldn’t see the mainland. In fact, he couldn’t see much of all.

                He gripped the wheel although it was mostly a pretense to feel in control of a situation that was rapidly going sideways. This wasn’t his first time exploring the islands around Champagne Beach. He came here every summer with friends and family, after all, and he felt confident that he knew the area like the back of his hand.

                But recently Jughead had gotten lost in the legends of Champagne Beach. The stories ranged from the mundane – caves that could go deep underwater and lead you to islands nearby, highly doubtful – to fanciful tales of an ancient civilization that lived in the area long ago before a curse wiped them out. He didn’t put much stock in any of them but it had piqued his interest enough to start researching it for a possible book.

                The summer trip seemed like a perfect time to begin his research. Lazy days at the beach swapped out for actually doing something like renting an boat and traveling to the islands nearby, studying them and taking photos. The nights were spent drinking coffee and writing about what he thought or discovered during the day. 

                Originally, Archie and Veronica tagged alone with him. But they got restless with the idea of running around everywhere on vacation. Eventually, they politely declined, opting for those long, relaxing days at the beach or by the hotel pool.

                Jughead didn’t mind. He understood what they came here for and wouldn’t hold it against them. Not everyone’s idea of a fun vacation was trapezing around looking up old legends about the area.

                But as the boat listed to one side, Jughead couldn’t help but think things would be a bit better if he wasn’t alone. Not that he would wish Veronica and Archie were in this sort of situation but…

                Thunder flashed across the sky, briefly illuminating the ocean. The waves were growing larger, he realized with dismay. In all the years that he came to Champagne Beach, he never saw a storm quite like this, especially with such little warning. It was a beast, causing the waves to smash against the boat with a ferocious intensity, the rain soaking through his clothes, so cold that his teeth were chattering.

                His camera was ruined, as was any photos he took today. His phone would be too. Jughead tried to not to think about that right now. Whatever money he just lost out on, he would worry about it when he got back to the mainland.

                _If,_ he thought darkly and swallowed hard. The boat lurched awkwardly to the side as a wave crashed into it. It splashed over the deck, sending salt water up his nose, causing him to cough. Another wave hit immediately and the boat shifted underneath his feet. The deck, slippery now, went out from under Jughead and he fell forwards, grabbing onto the wheel.   

                Clutching it, he spluttered up more water as another wave seemed to smother the boat. He couldn’t even open his eyes from the rain and ocean water. He couldn’t make out much of anything at all. It was as though all his senses were lost to him.

                The boat tilted dangerously. His grip fell off the wheel and he was sliding across the narrow deck. Jughead tried to grab onto something but his hand splashed into water. The boat was sinking. The deck was filling up.

                He made a plaintive noise for help as the ocean rose up to greet him, swallowing him up whole, sucking him down under the waves. Jughead struggled to break the surface but he no longer knew which side was up, down, everything was the same. The darkness curled around him, squeezing him tightly. He kicked his feet, water filling his lungs, his vision darkening. The storm did not grant him any mercy.

                Jughead’s eyes began to grow heavy. His chest ached. His kicking grew feeble. As everything began to slow down, he saw a flash of silver under the water. A flicker of something like a lantern. Soft light, growing brighter. Too bright.

                He closed his eyes.

*

                When Jughead opened his eyes, he groaned, closing them again. Such bright light. It stung. His body no longer felt cold but almost painfully hot. Clothing stuck to him like a baggy second skin, weighing him down. Seagulls bleated overhead. He wanted to go back to sleep. Exhaustion tugged at him and his bones felt tired.

                The seagulls made more noise –

                Wait, seagulls?

                Jughead’s eyes fluttered open. He found himself staring at a bright blue sky. No clouds to be seen. No storm.

                Storm. The memories ran over him and he sat up suddenly, startled by what he last remembered and where he was now. The boat sinking, falling off it, drowning –

                Drowning. Jughead thought he died. How could he be here now? What in the world happened? Sitting up, he looked around. He was on a beach. No mainland in sight. The ocean was utterly calm with soft waves rolling in along the beach.

                Some noise. Soft, lilting. Singing? Someone was singing. A radio? He had no idea what was happening. Gingerly, he got to his feet, grimacing as pain lanced his body. Nothing appeared to be broken but he was sore all over.

                Jughead looked behind him. It was a cove leading directly to darkness. Better to avoid that. No, he would find the source of the singing instead. His feet were bare and the sand was warm. His clothes were perfectly dry. Been out for hours, laying in the sun like a drying starfish.

                Head ached too. He needed water. There was no debris from the boat on the beach. How did he wash up here with no wreckage? The singing was a bit louder now. Soft. Reminded him of seashells…was that a thing? Could a voice remind someone of seashells? Jughead could picture the bottom of the ocean for some reason. Coral reefs.

                The closer he got to the voice, the images grew more vivid. Fish swimming in schools. The way the sun reflected off the top of the water. Barnacles on the bottom of sunken ships. The depths were monsters lived. The voice showed him all of it. Showed him parts of the ocean he rarely thought about.

                He came to a sudden stop. The singing ceased, the visions dropped. Jughead found himself staring at a woman on the surf. She was looking at him wide-eyed, her eyes beguiling, gorgeous, like pools of water he wanted to dive into. Her blonde hair had dried in the sun and was coming down in soft waves across her shoulders. Her mouth, slightly open, let him know that she was the source of the beautiful voice.

                But her beauty wasn’t the only thing bringing Jughead to a stop. He could only stare in shock. From the woman’s chest and downward, she was covered in soft blue scales. They glimmered under the sun, changing colors like a rainbow. The scales moved downwards, covering where her legs were supposed to be. Instead of them, there was a tail, laying in the shallow water.

                He had to be dead and dreaming. There was no way that any of this could be real. Jughead drowned when the boat sank and now he was imagining this.

                Imagining a beautiful mermaid in front of him.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this story please consider buying me a coffee at ko-fi.com/ryohazuki.


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